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1995-03-18
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283 lines
Object Placement Editor (formerly NetEdit) v1.3
By Eric Bennett (ericb@psu.edu)
==============================================================================
General
==============================================================================
Have you played Marathon over the network enough times that you're sick
of seeing the same aliens repeatedly? This program allows you to change:
-how many aliens/objects of each type are initially present on a level
-how many aliens/objects of each type are present during play
-whether aliens/objects are placed randomly or in specific locations
-how often aliens are added
OPE includes a randomizer for quickly resetting all of the above parameters
for any given level.
Although these changes are primarily useful for modifying net play, you can
also use this program as a cheater in the regular game by adding objects
or removing aliens.
==============================================================================
License and (lack of) Warranty
==============================================================================
This program is freeware.
The author (Eric Bennett) in no way warrants that the program will perform
as described in this manual (or any other document). USE THIS SOFTWARE
AT YOUR OWN RISK!
==============================================================================
Distribution
==============================================================================
You may redistribute this program provided that you include the original,
unmodified application and readme files and NOTHING ELSE. You may charge
duplication fees for distributing this program, but your fee may not exceed
the basic cost of media duplication (you may place this program on an online
service as long as downloading the file incurs only standard connection
charges).
DO NOT DISTRIBUTE OBJECT PLACEMENT EDITOR (OPE) TO THE FOLLOWING SITES:
sumex-aim.stanford.edu
ftp.amug.org
America Online (Macintosh Games Forum)
I will update these three sites myself, so please don't send them extra copies.
The author specifically grants permission to the maintainers of the
archives at Sumex-Aim.stanford.edu to include this program on the CD-ROM
distribution of the archive.
The author specifically grants permission to SOFTBANK Corporation to include
this program on its supplemental applications disk bundled with MacUser
Japanese Edition.
==============================================================================
How to get new versions
==============================================================================
I will post release versions to sumex-aim.stanford.edu, America Online (Mac
Games Forum) and ftp.amug.org. You can get releases and prereleases (not
for redistribution) from one of my web pages:
http://www.amug.org/~marathon/ope/
http://emb121.rh.psu.edu/marathon/marathon.html
==============================================================================
Special Considerations--READ BEFORE USING!
==============================================================================
You should NEVER have to change the amount of memory allocated to OPE in the
Finder. As of version 1.21b, OPE uses a new memory management method. If
OPE needs more memory, it will obtain it from the system software. In other
words, if you open a 3.5 meg map file and OPE has only its standard 280k of
memory, your system software will expand to use an additional 3.5 megs of
RAM. "About this Macintosh..." under the Apple menu in the Finder will
reflect this increase in memory use. As soon as you close your file in OPE,
the memory will be released for use by other applications.
You should be able to use maps from the Demo or the commercial release. If the
format of your map file is not the same, this program will probably corrupt it.
EDIT ONLY A BACKUP COPY OF YOUR MAP FILE. This program is not based on solid
information from Bungie; it uses information uncovered by Tom Klancer and
myself. Don't trust this program to work.
I have encountered occasional problems when net players are not using the map
file. In most cases nothing goes wrong since Marathon transfers the
gathering machine's copy of the map to the other machines, but if your
net games crash with a modified map you might try giving the modified
map file to all of the other players.
==============================================================================
How to use OPE--Basic Editing
==============================================================================
After loading OPE, select "Open..." from the file menu and load your map (you
can also drag-and-drop a map from the Finder). OPE will scan the file for
valid levels.
Now select the desired level under the "Levels" menu.
You can select which character/object you wish to edit by selecting it from
the "Characters" or "Objects" menus. In the main window, there are four
edit fields:
-Placement method
If you place a 1 here, objects will be placed randomly on the level.
Net levels work in this way. Regular game levels have a zero, meaning that
aliens are placed in specific places on the level. Changing the default
value on a given level from 0 to 1 should not cause problems, but I don't
know how Marathon responds when directed to placed objects in specific
locations when they're usually random.
If you use a value other than 0 or 1, NetEdit uses a 1 because 1 is
guaranteed to work.
-Initial # of object
The object will be placed this many times on the level before game
play begins; objects are placed depending on the value of the first field.
-Minimum #
Marathon will do its best to keep this amount of the object in play.
However, if you have nonrandom placement (first field) on and you ask for
more objects than the map has placement positions, Marathon may not be
able to replenish fast enough.
-Max #
This represents the total number of the alien or object that can be
present on the level at once. For example, a value of 10 in the record
for napalm canisters means that at most 10 canisters can be in play (held
by players or sitting on the floor) at any one time. Or, suppose Min# of
missiles is 4 and Max# is 8; there will always be 4 missile packs in play,
and there may be up to 8 (although Marathon is _very slow_ to increase
the number of objects from min# to max#). Note also that if Min# is
greater than Max# then Max# is irrelevant.
-Extras
The total number of objects which Marathon will add over the course of the game
in addition to the minimum number which must always be there. An example explains
this better: suppose Min# fighters is 2, Max# is 4, Extras is 10. There will
always be at least 2 fighters; fighters will be added until up till four are present,
but only ten times--after this only the two required fighters will be present. Or
you can think of the Min# field as having precedence over the Extras field. 65535
supposedly represents infinite replenishment (as if anyone would play long enough
to exhaust 65534 items...).
-Replenishment freq.
The higher the number, the more often Marathon will add the object in an attempt
to reach Max#. Values are from 0-65535.
If you want none of an object, set both min# and max# to zero.
If you enter a value less than 0 or greater than 255 for Initial# or Max# or Min#, OPE
will substitute ZERO.
To clear all characters or objects from the level, choose "Remove all aliens"
or "Remove all objects" from the special menu. "Clear All Records" does both.
==============================================================================
How to use OPE--Level Randomizer
==============================================================================
The Randomizer (in the Special Menu) is a quick way to generate new net
levels. It clears all objects from the current level and then places
new ones based on what frequency of the various type of objects you choose
in the Randomizer window.
Some things you should be aware of:
1). OPE usually instructs Marathon to place weapons in their predefined
locations, but if a level doesn't have a predefined spot for a weapon,
it will never appear. To circumvent this problem you can check the
"Place weapons randomly" checkbox in the Randomizer window.
2). Because randomly placing large aliens (juggernauts and, to a lesser
extent, hulks) can cause problems in levels with small closed spaces,
OPE instructs Marathon to place these aliens only in predefined map
locations (if the map contains no starting points for hulks and
juggernauts, none will appear). If you really want these aliens
to appear randomly like everything else, you can make a really simple
change OPE with ResEdit; see the "How OPE Works" file for instructions
on how to make the change (it's easy--honest!).
==============================================================================
About the Included Files (in the "File Formats" directory)
==============================================================================
"How OPE works" describes what I know about the "plac" section and
tells you how to use ResEdit to customize
OPE for new objects or to change the behavior
of the Randomizer.
"Map Editing" a somewhat dated file with info on the map file
(I did _not_ write this file)
"Marathon File Specs" file format info for several of Marathon's files.
(I did _not_ write this file)
==============================================================================
Version History
==============================================================================
03/18/95 -- version 1.3
the map file is now loaded into the system heap
added a portion of code which had miraculously vanished since
version 1.12b--"Place weapons randomly" in the randomizer
dialog
added level-scanning thermometer
03/15/95 -- version 1.2
Added (yuck) custom icon; many people bugged me to use one :(.
Started checking for changes to the open file before closing it.
Added file open via drag-and-drop in the Finder.
Opened last two fields for editing.
Added level randomizer.
Added load/save/search cursor changes.
Changed (again!) fields descriptions.
You can now navigate edit fields with return, tab, and up/down.
02/21/95 -- version 1.1.
Added editing of objects (added the "Objects" menu).
Fixed possible crash when Opening a locked file (Save still bombs).
Included information on Marathon file formats.
Added "Placement Method" field.
02/11/95 -- version 1.0
First version; known as NetEdit.
Written in about 6 hours and possibly buggy :)
"Fake" problems with OPE:
- Early versions (0.5, 0.6) of the Mia! map editor alter the map file
so that OPE is unable to find the correct level names. This was a
bug in Mia! and is fixed in Mia! v0.62.
What may appear in future releases:
- decent error handling (currently, OPE bombs on locked files etc.)
- a window containing a summary of all objects currently on the level
being edited
- pictures of the aliens and objects
- a more intelligent randomizer
- a faster algorithm for finding level offsets
What will NOT appear in future releases:
- full-fledged map editing
==============================================================================
HOW TO REPORT BUGS
==============================================================================
If you find a bug, please figure out how to reproduce it, then send me a bug
report at any of the following email addresses:
Marathon@emb121.rh.psu.edu (fastest response during fall/spring semester)
EricB@psu.edu (guaranteed to reach me any time of year)
EricB888@aol.com (I don't read this often)
emb121@psuvm.psu.edu (I almost *never* read this)
==============================================================================
Special Thanks
==============================================================================
Thanks go to:
-Tom Klancer : provided some information on the map file format.
-Bungie Software : created Marathon :).
-Zedcor, Inc. : published my S'pht, FutureBasic 1.0.3.
Less specifically, thanks to everyone on the 'net who sent me suggestions for
new features and icons etc.
[end of file]